Electric switch.



S. SAMPSON.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 30, 1917.

1 25 %9 2 Patented Jan. 8, 1918.

SIDNEY SAMPSON, OF DULUTH, MINNESOTA.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 8, 191%.

Application filed January 30, 1917. Serial No. 145,341.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SIDNEY SAMPsoN, a subject of the King of England, residing at Duluth, in the county of St. Louis and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Switches, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the venient direct manual operation and are usually opened and closed by a pole in the hands of the operator, having a hook in the end thereof for engagement with the switch blade or within a suitable hole, formed for the purpose, through the free end of the blade.

The object of my present invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive automatic locking and unlocking device for the type of switch above referred to.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this application and in which like reference characters indicate like parts:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved form of switch attachment, and

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on the line AB, Fig. 1.

I have illustrated the switch to which my invention is applied as being mounted upon a suitable base 1 and comprising the two extended bifurcated contacts 2 and 3 and the blade member 4, which is pivotally supported as at 5 intermediate the bifurcated members 6 6 of the contact 2 and the opposite free end swingingly adjustable to or from the contact 3, and frictionally engaged intermediate the bifurcated terminals 7-7 thereof when closed, as is common in such switches.

The contacts 2 and 3 extend through the base 1 and are connected with the circuit wires in any desired manner.

\Vhile I have shown this particular form of switch having a base in connection therewith, it is understood that in many cases such a base is not at all necessary and that the blade 4 may be mounted within the former are suitably rigidly fixed.

As a means for locking the blade 4 in place between the terminals 77 of the contact 3, there is fixed, in any desired man ner, as by a suitable through rivet 15 or by soldering, if preferred, to the outer side wall of each member 7, a metal spring member 8, said fixed connection being adjacent the base of the contact.

T he spring members 88 are bent at right angles over the ends of the terminals 7 toward each other forming opposed shoulders 99 which cooperate with each other in forming an adequate abutment for pre- Venting the accidental withdrawal of the free end of the blade.

From the inneriadjacent corners of the shoulders each member is again bent at substantially right angles, though in the opposite direction to that of the previous end, and flared gracefully outwardly from each other to form an easy entrance for the blade when forced therebetween and which action springs the members 88 sufliciently apart the blade as at 10, a. rockable manipulating member 11 having a hole 12 therethrough for engagement by the hook in the pole commonly used for such purposes, and whereby the free end of the blade is raised or lowered, as desired.

The lower inner portion of the manipulating member is extended downwardly somewhat and then turned at substantially right angles, the terminus extending normally parallel with the switch blade, being increased in thickness near its extreme end, as at 13, and then formed in inverted V-shape transversely, with the apex thereof normally ready to enter between the flaring ends of the spring'members 8 -8 and separate them during the process of unlocking the switch. In forming the manipulating member 11, it is desirable to have that portion extending inwardly parallel with the blade of a weight suflicient tomore than counteract the weight of that portion upon the opposite side of the pivotal point of suspension 10 so that the apartduring such entrance.

The members 8-8 will, upon passage of the blade therebetween, assume their normal position with their angular shoulders 99 adjacent each other beneath the blade thus effectually locking it in such closed position.

The face of the manipulating member 11 above the pivotal point 10 abutsthe end of the blade 4 and prevents the member 11 from rising above a point parallel with the blade, as is obvious.

When it is desired to open the switch, a downward pull of the hook in the hole 12 will by the rocking action of the member 11 thrust the head 13 thereof upward intermediate the flared ends of the spring members 88 and separate them suflicient to admit the free passage outward of the blade l and which operation will bring the head 13 in direct engagement with the lower edge of the blade, thus retarding further movement of themember in respect to the blade.

A further pull downward will freely withdraw the blade from engagement with the contact and result in an effectual and simple opening of the switch and that with but a single stroke of the operating pole.

While I have illustrated the locking spring members 88 as being attached directly to the sides of the contact 3, it is evident that the same may be upon an independent mounting either in front of or in the rear of the contact, as desired, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A locking and unlocking device for electric switches, comprising two opposed cooperating members for normally retaining the switch in locked position, and means pivotally carried by the free end of the switch last mentioned contact member and means pivotally carried by the switch blade for separating the locking members when the switch is being unlocked.

3. In an electric knife blade switch, the combination of two contact members, a switch blade pivotally carried by one of said members and engageable with the other of said members, opposed separable resilient locking members carried upon opposite sides of the last mentioned contact member and overlapping the end of same, a manipulating member pivotally carried upon the extreme free end of the switch blade, said manipulating member having a wedge shaped projecting head for separating the locking members and means for operating the manipulating member simultaneously with the opening and closing of the switch.

4. The combination with a knife blade switch of the character described, designed to operate within a bifurcated contact member, of opposed resilient locking members carried upon either side of the bifurcated contact member, the extreme free ends of the locking members diverging outwardly, a manipulating member pivotally supported upon the extreme free end of the blade of the switch, a projection of the manipulating "member having a wedge shaped head for engagement intermediate of the diverging ends of the locking members and means whereby the manipulating member is operated simultaneously with the opening and closing of the switch.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

SIDNEY SAMPSON.

Witnesses:

H. L. LALEBERTE, S. Gno. STEVENS. 

